We're Intrigued By Brisbane's NEXT Hotel

What was once a big-country town, Brisbane has really started to come of age as far as its hotel scene goes. From trendy boutique The Emporium Hotel, that regularly takes home top awards, to the first Tryp and a newly re-branded Pullman, Australia's third largest city is making a name for itself as one of the country's epicenter for cool hotels. So picking Brisbane to launch a new hotel brand, called NEXT Hotels, makes total sense.

The brand NEXT is new, but the folks calling all of the shots are not new to running hotels; the Singaporean hotelier, SilverNeedle has acquired the Constellation Group, who've been welcoming guests for decades not only in Australia, but in New Zealand, Thailand and Laos. SilverNeedle will now overhaul Constellation's Brisbane property, Chifley at Lennons, to the tune of $35 million.

Not only will NEXT Hotel double the amount of rooms from 150 to 300 at the property, but it will offer out-of-town guests and locals a hip hot spot overlooking the Queen Street outdoor-shopping mall. By adding a luxury retail section on the ground floor and a hot new pool deck a la The Standard Highline or Gansevoort for sipping cocktails, NEXT will once again be the city's hottest address.

Currently closed for the full redevelopment and planning to open in mid-2014, the hotel will be a welcome addition just in time for the G20 Summit later in November As hip as the renderings look, we cannot imagine Barack Obama chilling at the pool imbibing on tropical drinks, but we might just have to wait and see.